Tokka 100
by Queen of Sneaks
Summary: Here's my take on the 100 Tokka one-shots. Enjoy!
1. Prompt 77: Slur

**I'm attempting the Tokka 100! Don't expect regular updates from me until the summer. I'm sorry, life is crazy. Anyway, constructive critisism is welcome. Is it too short? Is it not Tokka-ish enough? Please tell me your opinion!**

Tokka 100

77: Slur

"Come on, Toph. It's C, not B. Please, try one more time!"

Toph grunted. Ever since Katara had taken it into her head to teach each member of Team Avatar an instrument, she had dreaded seeing the waterbender. Since Aang already knew the tsungi horn, he was safe. But Sokka had endured endless anguish while his sister tried to teach him how to play the pipa. Suki had inevitably joined in, seeing as she played the stringed instrument herself. In the end, Sokka had gotten so frustrated that he stormed out of his own home and had since ignored both Katara and Suki. That turned out to be both good and bad. On one hand, Suki and Sokka were no longer a couple, and anything that drove a stake between the two was fine in Toph's book. On the other hand, however, Katara pounced on Toph like prey. She was determined to teach the girl how to play the flute. Of course, usually Toph would glower at anyone who treated her differently because of her lack of sight, but today, she hoped with all her might that Katara had finally realized how futile it was to try and teach a blind girl music.

The earthbender put her flute back up to her mouth and ran through the scale again. It was hard focusing her mind on two completely different things at once. She told her fingers to move and ran through the notes in her head: _C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. _

"No, Toph, an A is this fingering!" Katara stated, tugging at one of Toph's calloused digits.

Toph, fed up with the incessant corrections and overall pointlessness of the exercise, threw her flute to the ground and got out of her chair. "It's no use!" she shouted, "I hate the flute, Katara! Go teach it to someone who cares! To me, it's weird that the alphabet ends at G! It's insane that you have to know the difference between slurs and staccato! I don't care! I just don't CARE!"

She stomped angrily away, but could sense Katara pursuing her. Toph stomped harder on the ground, and a wall sprung up between them. Through her haze of fury, the blind earthbender realized that Katara had already gone through the exact same thing with Sokka. She also came to the conclusion that Sokka would understand how she felt.

Toph turned her aggravated course toward Sokka's favorite restaurant. She pushed past anyone who got in her way and, upon recognizing Sokka's breathing and heartbeat, she plopped herself down in the chair across from him.

"Your sister is annoying," Toph grumbled.

She could hear the sympathy in his voice when Sokka asked, "What did she do this time?"

"Sugar Queen told me I should join the Ember Island Players because I'm no good at the flute."

Toph noticed a soft plop, which was probably Sokka's food dropping out of his open mouth. "Really?" he questioned, flabbergasted.

Toph smirked. "No. Now that I've got your attention, I'd like to make an announcement. Music is stupid, and I shall never learn to play an instrument for as long as I live."

Sokka laughed. "So your 'attention grabber' wasn't all that exaggerated. And because of that, I propose a toast." At this, he raised his glass, and Toph lifted her own imaginary drink to his. "To non-musicians!" Sokka declared, and Toph echoed his words with much gusto.

After that, the talk turned to trivial things, like Earth Rumble VII, Momo's new peach stealing habit, and the latest news on small rebel Fire Nation groups that hadn't been destroyed yet.

Toph let herself go on autopilot as her friend's words washed over her. She loved to hear him joke, even though some of his puns were punishable. Even more, she loved hearing him tell stories. She was perfectly content sitting right here, with no Suki to get between her and Sokka. Her Water Tribe friend got extremely animated when telling tales, and Toph let herself get carried away by the ebb and flow of the plot.

Toph was also extremely glad that it was only the two of them. Even back when they had traveled the world to stop Firelord Ozai, there had always been someone else. And lately, Toph felt like she was growing farther and farther apart from Sokka, while he was growing closer to his girlfriend. Toph and Sokka's meetings had been short and far between.

Now, Toph felt the friendship between them spark again, as if they had become connected. Her mind flashed back to something Katara had mentioned earlier, during her torturous flute lesson.

_"Staccato, Toph, it's not a slur! Slurred notes should flow into each other, and you use one breath. Staccato has to be brief and pointy."_

Toph finally snapped back to pay attention to what Sokka was saying, and she found herself in the middle of a story about penguins and pants.

"-so then," Sokka was saying, "I ran around - and no matter WHAT Katara says, I was NOT screaming like a girl. I may have been screaming, but it was manly screaming. And just as the penguins pounced on my pants, Katara comes running, right, because she heard the screaming. The manly screaming. She tried to waterbend the penguins off of me, but would up freezing my head to the ground. The penguins finally managed to get the fish, along with my pants. Let me tell you, it is NOT fun to be in the middle of a glacier without pants." Sokka stopped, and Toph could feel his eyes on her. "Say," he began. Toph felt his heart beating slightly faster, as if he was nervous. "Do you want to come back here for lunch tomorrow?"

Toph opened her eyes wider and smiled a bit. "I'd love to." Now Sokka's heart was definitely beating faster, in a rhythm identical to her own. The companions got up and strolled out of the restaurant, taking separate routes back to their respective homes. As Toph meandered back to her apartment, she thought about her music lesson.

The musical terms seemed to apply directly to how she felt right now; though Sokka and Toph may have been sharp and distant before, the pair were becoming closer and more connected with each word that came out of their mouth. The girl much preferred being a slurred note, as long as the next note was Sokka.

_Hmm_, thought Toph, _Maybe music's not so stupid after all._


	2. Prompt 44: Inside

**Wow! Two chapters in two days! You 56 people who read and 0 people who reviewed should be very proud of me! I am NOT an organised girl.**

Tokka 1

44: Inside

As long as she lives, Toph will never forget the day Firelord Ozai was defeated. Everyone else in the world could say that, but she had a reason different from the thousands of people who rejoiced at the war's demise.

To her, the end of the war meant the end of her dreams.

She could remember every detail of that day clearly, but only one part mattered.

. . .

_An airship, knocked off course, had split the metal beast they were on in two. Suki was on one side, and Sokka and Toph found themselves on the other. _

_Sokka cried out, "Suki!" Toph could hear the panic in his voice, but secretly, she was glad. Toph, able to see almost as well on metal as she did on earth, could tell that Suki's part of the airship would be fine. Their's, however, wouldn't be. _

_She missed Suki's reply, but could tell Sokka was still distracted. The metal beneath Toph's feet was shaking and threatening to buckle._

_"Sokka," she started nervously, "I think we've gotta-"_

_The grinding screech of another airship slamming into their own snapped Sokka into focus. He grabbed on to his friend and leaped into the air. For a few brief seconds, Toph couldn't see or sense anything except Sokka's hand on her arm. Then, there was a jarring impact that threw her off balance._

_Sokka threw himself down on top of Toph. The earthbender could hear and feel debris falling all around them, but she couldn't care less. All she cared about was the fact that Sokka's arms were wrapped around her. Toph, for the first time that day, felt completely safe. In the back of her mind, she realized that they were on a falling airship and could die any moment, but Toph was content enough in Sokka's grasp._

_All too soon, the Water Tribe warrior stood up, pulling Toph to her feet as well. The boy declared, "Toph, metalbend the rudder so it's jammed into turning position. The ship will spiral and slam into the others."_

_Toph replied, "Got it!" She gently moved Sokka out of the way and spat on her hands. Then, Toph gripped the strong metal of the rudder and pulled. The material bended and wrinkled as if it were parchment. _

_As the ship crashed into its kin, Sokka inquired, "Have I ever mentioned how sweet it is that you invented metalbending?"_

_Toph smiled, pleased that her ability had elicited a compliment from her friend. "You could stand to mention it more."  
Her good mood immediately vanished as she felt footsteps coming towards them. Turning, Toph tried to warn Sokka, but before she could, a searing blast of heat knocked them off the side of the ship._

_This time, Toph was even more terrified. Before, she had Sokka's arm to cling to, but now, empty air spiraled around her, and for once in her life, she was truly blind. Toph found herself wondering how she would die. Would she truly fall to her death and slam against the ground? There was no way to earthbend when she didn't know where the earth was. Would earth, her way of seeing, her world, her life, truly be her own demise?_

_She didn't have to find out. One moment, she was alone in a world of horror. The next, a hand grasped hers. By the contours of the fingers, the slight roughness of the palm, and the fact that it held on so tightly, Toph could tell it was Sokka's._

_"My leg!" Sokka shouted, obviously in pain. "Hang on, Toph!"_

_"Aye aye, Captain," Toph responded. She could feel the tension in Sokka's arm as he strained to keep her alive. Toph heard the familiar whistle of his boomerang and an unfamiliar whoosh. _What could that be? _Toph wondered._

_ "Bye, space sword." _Sokka had thrown away his space sword? _They truly were in trouble now if he had thrown away his prize possession. Toph thought back to the day Sokka had crafted the sword. He had saved a special piece of rock just for her, and Toph kept it around her arm day and night. She felt a closeness to Sokka when they both kept the same material with them all the time. But now, she was the only one with space rock._

_The loud pounding of feet snapped Toph out of her reverie. There had to be at least ten firebenders surrounding them. What was worse, Toph could feel her hand starting to slip._

_"I don't think boomerang's coming back, Toph. It looks like this is the end." Sokka's voice was laced with sadness._

_A tear trickled down Toph's cheek. She would die. He would die. She would die without ever telling him how she felt, without ever knowing if he felt the same way. That couldn't happen. The proud, strong Toph Bei Fong wanted to die with dignity, and she wasn't about to leave this world without finding out Sokka's opinion of her. Toph wasn't one to keep her feelings inside. She took a deep breath and tried to speak, but the words stuck in her throat. She tried again, her fingertips the only thing holding her close to the sarcastic, meat-loving guy she had fallen in love with. She steeled herself one last time and prepared to say her last words. "Sokka, I-"_

_She was stopped when her grip finally slipped. The earthbender closed her eyes, angry at herself for wasting her last moments. Now she would die ignorant. And in this case, ignorance was hardly bliss. She just hoped there wouldn't be any pain when she hit the ground._

_Toph hit something far quicker than she expected, and though it was a shock, she could tell that none of her bones were broken. From the impact, she knew that the ground was made of metal, and it seemed to be another airship. _What?_ she thought. _

_Another impact sent shock waves throughout the ship, and she could sense Sokka lying beside her and another familiar form a bit further away. _

_Although, deep in her heart, Toph knew what had come to pass, she still had to ask anyway. "How did that happen? Did boomerang come back?"_

_"No," Sokka replied with awe and love in his voice, "Suki did."_

_Toph heard the admiration in his tone and flinched. How was that possible? A second earlier, she was hanging on to her life and her love, ready to admit everything. Now, she was sitting in a puddle of her own jealousy. Why was that? How come Suki could swoop in and save the day?_

_Even later, when they met up with Aang and witnessed the Phoenix King crumpled and without power, she couldn't help getting one last jab in. _

_"Yeah! Or how about king of the…guys who…don't win?" Suki finished lamely._

_"Leave the nicknames to us, honey." Toph was glad to hear Sokka snicker a bit, for she knew, deep down, that this would be the last time she would ever feel blissful hearing that laugh. _The next time Sokka chuckles or guffaws or chortles,_ Toph realized, _I'll know Suki will hear it more often than I will.

. . .

She had never told anyone how she felt. All she could do was lock her feelings inside, so deep inside that she almost forgot about them. Toph locked her vault of emotions with an icy key, and tried to move forward after Ozai's reign ended.

The four nations had since then marked the end of the war as a time of celebration, rejoicing each year for an annual holiday. Toph was the only one who sulked in her apartment during the festivities.

While everyone else finally got to the light at the end of the tunnel, Toph had retreated to where she felt the safest: inside.

00


	3. Prompt 31: Family

**How do you guys feel about the POV? Would you rather me keep it to Toph or change to Sokka? I am going to have some chapters from Sokka's POV. By the way, Keji is my original character and belongs to me. These stories are not connected, but know who he is, just in case I use him in a further chapter. Happy reading!**

31: Family

"I have a _what?_" Toph stood, mouth agape, her sightless eyes pointed in the general direction of her parents. She had come to apologize for running away and to ask to live with Iroh in his tea shop. She had expected a 'don't ever do that again, young lady' and a strong 'no,' respectively, but not this. Anything but this. She had never, not in her wildest dreams, thought that she might have a…a…

"A brother," her father declared, harshly echoing her mother's words. Their heartbeats weren't going any faster than usual, so Toph knew they weren't lying, but still…a brother?

"Why didn't I meet him?" she blurted out.

Her father heaved an exasperated sigh. "We told you. He ran away, just like you. We've never found him. We've given up hope for Keji, but when we were blessed with another child, your mother and I vowed never to let you go like him." He sighed again. "You've seen how well that's worked out. Please, Toph, we only want what's best for you. Stay here."

Toph only heard, _'He ran away, just like you.'_

"Does he know about me?" she choked out.

This time, her mother answered. "Of course. You were born the night he ran away. Keji actually picked out your name."

Toph's head swam. She had a brother, who had chosen her name. He was somewhere out there, maybe hurt, maybe dead. She had to find him, even if she needed to search the whole world. After all, he was family. And that's what family's all about, right?

Without warning, she turned heel and ran. Toph sensed the guards trying to close in on her, but with a careless flick of her hand, they found themselves earthbended to the ceiling. In no time, she was out of the house and on the road. Toph didn't know where to start looking for her brother, but she did know that she wouldn't give up.

. . .

"Keji Bei Fong. Have you heard of him?" she growled to the shopkeeper.

The nervous man replied with a shaky, "N-no…"

"Liar!" Toph yelled back. An entire week's worth of searching had boiled down to nothing. Even the long trek from Gaoling was pointless. She was irritated and annoyed that the citizens in Ba Sing Se never gave her a straight answer. It was always either 'maybe' or a lie, and in this case, she knew the local shoemaker was lying.

Abruptly, a figure sprinted around the corner. "What are you doing, Toph?"

It was a familiar voice. One that was always at the back of her mind. Toph snarled, "Not now, Sokka. I'm in the middle of something."

Sokka grabbed Toph by the shoulder and tore her away from the poor shopkeeper. The next instant, Toph had surrounded her friend with earth.

"Listen, Snoozles. I've had a long week. This idiot," Toph growled, pointing at the shoemaker, "has the answer to all my problems. If you'd just buzz off, I'd be happy. No, I'd be overjoyed."

Toph hit her hand against Sokka's impromptu prison, which transformed into sand and melted away. She turned back to the shopkeeper, but before she could do anything, Sokka's hand was on her shoulder again. His pulse was going crazy, and Toph could feel the anger coursing through his veins. _What's he so worked up about?_ she wondered.

"Listen to me, Toph. You won't get anywhere by threatening innocent people. I know that aggression is easier than patience for you, but you have to take a deep breath. And it might help to contact your friends every once in a while! We haven't seen you in the past week, Toph, and everyone's been worrying! What are you trying to gain by attacking people and ignoring your friends?" By the end of his tirade, Sokka was shouting.

Toph flinched and bowed her head. Sokka was right. She had neglected the rest of Team Avatar, which wasn't necessary. But how could any of them understand? She muttered, "I was trying to find my brother," then turned and bolted through the streets.

Sokka didn't pursue her. Toph could tell he was too shocked. Toph left him standing there and sped up. She didn't know where she was going. Toph just dodged around people and ducked into alleyways_. I just blew my last chance to find Keji_, she thought. But it didn't matter. It was hopeless. How could she ever have thought that it was possible to track down her brother?

Toph finally stopped running in a dark side street. Pressing her back against an apartment, she slid down the wall and into a sitting position. There, she assessed her situation. She was alone in the middle of the city, had no idea where her brother was, and had irritated her best friend.

Overall, not a very good day.

_So, what to do?_ Toph thought. She knew Iroh would welcome her into the Jasmine Dragon with open arms. He had, after all, suggested she stay with him. But where was his shop from here? Toph picked up a foot and stamped on the ground. From the vibrations, she knew that the famous teashop was a long walk away. Grumbling to herself, Toph got to her feet. Just as she started to walk away, Sokka came bounding toward her.

"Toph! Toph, I need to talk to you!" Sokka was completely out of breath. He put a hand on her shoulder to steady himself, then took deep breaths until his heart rate was back to normal.

"That man," Sokka started, "I asked him if he knew anything about your brother. I know where to find Keji."

Toph's jaw dropped. Sokka wasn't lying. "How did you get him to answer?"

The Water Tribe boy's voice took on a superior tone. "I just asked him. Politely. I told you, Toph. Most people are willing to help others, but threatening to crush their shop and trap them underground forever is _not_ a good way to ask for assistance."

Toph grunted. "So where is he? You're going to help, right?"

Sokka replied, "Of course! The guy said he's at some tavern called Zui's. Rumor has it that Keji knows the owner and spends a lot of his time there. Apparently, Zui's isn't far from the Jasmine Dragon."

Toph grinned. "What are we waiting for?" The long walk to the Jasmine Dragon seemed less demanding when she had a hope in her heart and a friend at her shoulder. The earthbender grabbed Sokka's arm and yanked him off to go find her brother.

. . .

By the time the pair neared Zui's, Toph was a turmoil of emotions. She was excited to finally get to meet her brother, but what if he wasn't how she imagined? Would Keji immediately recognize her, or would she have to explain herself? What if he didn't believe her?

"So many things can go wrong…" Toph muttered.

She felt Sokka grasp her hand. "But so many things can go right," replied the Water Tribe boy gently.

Toph took a deep breath and walked to the tavern door. Sokka didn't follow, and for that, she was glad. This was something she had to do alone.

The wooden door opened with a creak. Immediately, Toph headed for a man behind the bar who she assumed was the owner. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Do you know where I can find a man called Keji?"

The bartender grunted. Toph guessed, from the silence, that he was pointing. She stated, "I'm blind. Could you just _tell _me where he is?"

"He's in the far left corner," the man replied in a deep, gruff voice.

Toph, with shaking hands, made her way to where the bartender had directed her. She could hear the roaring conversation of several drunk men, but one seemed to be in charge of the others. Toph knew she must look pathetic to them; a blind 12 year old girl coming to a tavern, of all places. But she had a mission, and family was family. "Which one of you is Keji?"

Instantaneously, the group quieted. The leader stood up, and from his stance, Toph could tell he was an earthbender. She figured him to be about twenty years old.

"I am."

Toph took a deep breath. This was it. "I'm Toph Bei Fong."

Keji's entire body went rigid. Then he relaxed. "Is it really you?" he asked, coming out from behind the table. Toph nodded.

The man rushed to her and swept her up in a crushing hug. "I can't believe you've found me! I always wondered how my younger sister would turn out. Come, let's talk."

Keji led Toph out from the tavern, asking her questions about her life along the way. Toph could feel tears pushing at her eyes from her brother's warm welcome. Sokka's words had been true; so many things had gone right. Toph couldn't feel Sokka's heartbeat or footsteps anywhere close, so she presumed he had given her some space.

"So, how are Mother and Father treating you?" Keji inquired.

Toph replied, "They're a bit over-protective. They just don't understand that I can take care of myself. They see me as their blind daughter, instead of who I am. I can take on anyone in an earthbending duel, and I've even helped defeat the Fire Lord. They just don't understand."

Keji turned down an alleyway with Toph at his heels. "So, you're a master earthbender?"

Toph answered, "Yeah. I was 42 and 0 before the war and - "

Suddenly, Toph was pushed against the rough wood of the alley wall by her neck. Her feet weren't touching the ground; she couldn't tell who was attacking. Instantly, she tried to encase her attacker in earth. She heard her brother snarl and curse and hoped that he was alright.

"Keji! Are you okay?" she called.

In reply, she heard his voice snap close to her ear. "Oh, I'm more than okay, you little _worm_." He spat the last word out like it was a bad taste in his mouth.

Toph was completely terrified, more so than she had ever been before._ Keji_ had pinned her to the wall? Why was he suddenly acting like this? What had she said or done?

"Listen. I don't care what mother and father said about me. I guess you and I are similar in one way; they never understood us. But let me get something straight. Your birth pushed them over the edge. For months, all anyone did or said was about the new baby. 'Don't eat that, it'll be bad for the baby.' 'Should I get this for the baby?' On and on and on. They forgot about me. They didn't care about me anymore. It was because they had a second chance; I was a screw up, a mistake. I was the kind of kid that would run away from the parties they threw. Often, I'd even set traps for the high officials that came to visit." Keji laughed viciously. "Mother and Father were fed up with me. They were so happy about the baby; they were finally going to get their perfect child."

Toph could feel Keji's hand slowly blocking off her windpipe. In response, she sent wave after wave of earth at him.

Keji only chuckled. "I happen to be an earthbender myself. There's nothing you can throw at me that I can't handle. I'm going to get my revenge, you little runt. There's nothing you can do about it."

Toph tried to thrust him off using brute force, but it was no use. No matter where she pushed, he stood stock still, squeezing. She pounded her fists against him, trying desperately to escape. It was the only thought running across her mind. Unexpectedly, her fist hit something metal. Keji's belt.

Toph managed to gasp out, "You may be an earthbender, but you can't bend metal." With those words, she forced the particles of earth in the belt backwards. With a groan, her brother hit the other side of the alley.

Toph fell to her knees, gasping. It was good to have air again.

But it wasn't good to hear disturbed laughter coming from her brother.

"You think you're so clever, bending metal. But of course, metal _is_ earth. Did you figure this out all on your own? What a big girl!" Toph heard a loud screech, and she knew her brother had broken free of his temporary prison.

"That's…not possible…" she choked, still hunched over on the ground, "How…could you…"

Keji just laughed brutally. "I happen to be a very quick learner. Now where was I? Oh, yes." The crazy man walked toward Toph, eager to finish what he had started.

Toph braced herself, expecting the worst, but instead, she heard a familiar whistling sound and a thud. Then, all of a sudden, Sokka was by her side, helping her up. "What happened?" Toph asked hoarsely, rubbing her hand over her neck.

Sokka responded, "I hit Keji with my boomerang. He's out cold."

"Thanks."

The Water Tribe boy pulled Toph further away from the unconscious man on the ground. "Didn't you realize you were going down an alley? I was worried when you didn't come back out. What happened? Why was Keji attacking you?"

"He felt neglected when I was born and wanted revenge. I'm sorry. I was too focused about finally meeting my brother…I didn't even consider the possibility that something like this could happen," Toph replied.

"Well, let's get out of here." Sokka helped Toph, who was still feeling a bit weak and dizzy. They rounded the corner, heading for the Jasmine Dragon.

"So many things went wrong. Maybe my parents are right," whispered Toph sullenly, "I can't take care of myself. All it took was one man and a bit of storytelling for me to get into trouble."

"Hey," Sokka started. "This was only one time. I can name dozens of instances where you saved the day. Everyone needs help sometimes. That's what family's all about, right?"

Toph took a deep breath. Maybe Sokka's advice was accurate; she might be related by blood to Keji, but he was in no way her family. Her real family was made up of the people who cared about her. Aang, Katara, Iroh, Zuko, even Suki. They were family. And the person Toph cared about most of all; the boy walking next to her with his arm draped protectively around her shoulders.

"Yeah," stated Toph, "That's what family's all about."


	4. Prompt 71: Moon

**Hey guys! I'm back!It's Sokka's POV today. I plan to do the next chapter from Toph's POV. I want to know how you guys feel about the story so far. I've really only had feelings talked about, not really showed. Would you rather they actually admit their feelings, or these inner pieces? By the way...This chapter, the next one, and the one after that are all connected. You'll understand why later.**

71: Moon

Sokka made his way to the inner courtyard. It was nice of Zuko to let them stay at the palace, but occasionally, it was too stuffy and proper for Sokka to bear. The Water Tribe boy passed the paintings of the royal family, and he knew he was getting close. He rounded a corner, and finally, he was free. That was the best word to describe the feeling he got in the courtyard during the day. But on a cold night such as this one, he felt more trapped than ever. Often, Sokka would wrap his tunic around himself and sit staring at the night sky. He could never take a single glance at the moon without thinking of the first girl he had fallen in love with. Yue.

Even though watching the sky was painful, Sokka came to the courtyard almost every night. He was content knowing that he could see Yue, along with her seeing him. For the past week, he had spent entire nights sitting alone, just watching and thinking.

"Hey." The sudden word snapped Sokka from his reverie, and he turned to find Fire Lord Zuko leaning his back against the side of one of the arched gates.

Sokka patted the ground beside him, looking for some company. Being alone wasn't _always _preferable. Zuko took the hint and stretched out beside his friend, resting his head on the ground.

"What brings you here?" asked Sokka, lying down as well.

"I couldn't sleep," replied Zuko.

For a few minutes, the two sat in companionable silence. The night air, though chilly, was still. No animals wrecked the stillness with their harsh calls. To Sokka, this was the best kind of quiet. It wasn't awkward, it wasn't forced, it wasn't the hush that descended upon people when something terrible happened; it was the peace of two people sharing their troubles together.

Eventually, Zuko spoke, albeit softly. "A long time ago, you said your first girlfriend turned into the moon. How did that happen?"

Sokka turned his head ever so slightly. Zuko's eyes were fixed on the night sky and held only curiosity. "I think you were there, or at least somewhere near us. At the North Pole. You remember when Zhao killed the koi fish, right? It was the Moon Spirit."

Zuko nodded, prompting Sokka to continue.

"Well, Yue told me – told everyone – that when she was born, she was very sick. She was more than very sick; she was dying. Her parents placed her in the Spirit Oasis, where the Moon and Ocean Spirits were. Her hair turned white and she started to cry, and Yue's parents knew she was going to live."

Here, Sokka paused, gathering his breath and his thoughts. Zuko, beside him, knew that the next part of the story must be the hardest for Sokka to relive.

"Yue's father told me to protect her. When Zhao killed the Moon Spirit, Yue said she felt she could revive it. She wanted to give her own life to save the Moon Spirit. I tried to stop her, but Yue was determined. She walked into the pool…and became the Moon."

Silence wreathed its way back around the courtyard, but this time, it wasn't as pleasant. Sokka was trying hard to push images of that fateful night from his mind, while Zuko was wondering how he would feel if he had been caught in that situation. The lull in the conversation pressed down hard upon both boys' minds, until Zuko could take it no longer.

"You know, I'm sorry I asked you that. It was personal, and, well, with Suki and all…" Zuko trailed off.

Sokka flinched. Suki had just broken up with him. The warrior was feeling homesick and planned to return to Kyoshi Island, while Sokka was perfectly content to stay in the Fire Nation. Apparently, Suki thought that she and Sokka 'wouldn't be able to work a long-distance relationship.' He had been heartbroken to find out that, not even a day later, Suki was back on Kyoshi and already going out with someone else. Pushing aside his hurt feelings, he answered Zuko. "No, it's fine. It's just that the breakup with Suki got my spirits a little low. You might not believe this, but Suki and Yue are the only girls to have liked me. I think Ty Lee had a thing for me a while back, but now, she's got Chad…I thought that I had a chance with Suki, but the only girl that's ever really loved me is the moon."

Zuko turned to face Sokka. "I'm not sure that's entirely true."

Sokka sat up. "You mean to tell me that you know more about my love life than I do?" Sokka asked sarcastically.

Sitting up as well, Zuko replied, "Yes, I do." His voice was dead serious.

"Oh really, Casanova? What makes you say that?" Sokka couldn't keep the mocking tone out of his voice.

Zuko laughed quietly. "Because someone told me they're in love with you."

Sokka's mouth dropped open. Immediately, his manner changed from a depressed state of mind to a behavior similar to that of an excited schoolgirl.

"Really, Zuko? You're not kidding? Who is it? C'mon, don't leave me hanging!" Sokka turned to his friend with large, pleading eyes. He puckered his lip in a pout and clasped his hands under his chin, giving Zuko the classic 'puppy-dog eyes.'

Zuko rubbed his temple with two fingers. "Sokka, you _know_ that doesn't work on me."

Sokka didn't move a muscle; instead he started to make little pleading whimpers.

Zuko groaned and fell back on the ground. He covered his face with his hands in an attempt to get away from Sokka's expression. When he couldn't stand the torture any longer, he let out a muffled, "All right."

Sokka celebrated his victory with much cheering and shouting. He didn't quite remember that it was the middle of the night, and he was so loud that he almost missed Zuko's next words.

"I won't tell you straight out. You can ask five yes or no questions, and then guess." Zuko glared at Sokka and crossed his arms over his chest. Sokka knew there was no negotiating.

"Fine. My first question…" Sokka realized he had to make each and every question count if he wanted to figure out who Zuko was talking about. _Let's see_, he thought, _what categories could a girl be placed into? Age, height, weight, bending, where I met her, hair color, eye color, family…_

"Okay," Sokka started hesitantly, "Is she an earthbender, firebender, or waterbender?"

"Yes," Zuko replied.

Although that knocked out a lot of the girls he knew, Sokka recognized that he'd have to get a bit more specific.

"Does everyone in Team Avatar – me, you, Katara, Toph, Aang, Suki – know her?" Sokka stumbled over his ex-girlfriend's name, but it had to be said. How else would he be able to narrow it down?

Zuko responded with a smug look on his face. "Definitely."

"Definitely? What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka grumbled. When the Fire Lord didn't reply, he focused his mind on the next question. _More specific_, he thought.

"Does she come from a poor family?" Wealth didn't really matter to Sokka, but he knew only a few girls that held high statuses. This question – hopefully – would help him sort the people he knew into smaller categories.

Zuko's smug look deepened. From the expression on his face, Sokka could tell that the Fire Lord highly doubted he would figure it out. "Nope."

Sokka concentrated on what he knew. She was a bender, she was rich, and everyone he knew had heard of her. The Water Tribe boy closed his eyes, trying to picture her. _That's it_, he thought.

"Does she have dark hair?" Sokka inquired, hoping to get a better mental image.

Zuko nodded, his mask of superiority slightly slipping. Sokka noticed the minor breach of his defenses and promptly launched his final question, hoping to get more of a reaction out of Zuko. "Is she younger than me?"

Zuko's eyes flared wide, shock taking the place of arrogance. Sokka laughed, saying, "You don't even need to answer that."

Sokka slumped back against the cool grass thoughtfully. He couldn't really think of anyone with those qualities, but he wasn't trying very hard. His mind was still hyped up on the thrill of asking the right questions. He could have come up with _someone_ who had those traits if he had some help, someone to talk his speculations over with. Aang and Katara were a big no; since the war ended, they'd spent every spare second with each other. And Lord Zuzu next to him would be no help. Iroh would be good to talk to, but he was busy with fixing up his tea shop. That left only Toph. Maybe she could help him figure out who this secret admirer was.

_Toph…_

The comprehension raced through Sokka. Toph was a bender, younger than him, immensely rich, had black hair, and everyone in the gang certainly knew her. Sokka's epiphany must have shown on his face, for, next to him, Zuko muttered, "Oh no…"

Sokka jumped to his feet. "Is it Toph?"

Zuko took a deep breath and locked eyes with Sokka. The resolution was written all over his face, and Zuko knew it. He didn't even bother answering the query. "I think the better question is if you are in love with her."

Sokka looked down at his feet. Maybe Zuko _had_ been taught some wisdom from all those years spent with Iroh. "Why should I even ask myself that? Every relationship I've ever had ended badly. What makes you so sure that this will work out?"

Zuko walked over to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. He then responded, "I don't."

Sokka stood stock still as the Fire Lord walked out of the courtyard. Maybe Zuko had a point, but to Sokka, girls were the most confusing thing in the universe. He sat back down on the hard ground, staring up at the sky. He owed it to Toph to sort out his own feelings; it wasn't fair to make her suffer for his own loss.

Sokka's eyes flicked over to the moon. He didn't know if he should take a chance just to see if this would finally be the time that love would work out. He _did_ love Toph, and she loved him, but what if something bad happened, like with Yue?

A voice at the back of his head countered the argument. Yue had taken a huge chance. She had been engaged, yet she followed her heart, and that heart led Yue to Sokka. True, something bad had happened to her, but things like that happen. Nothing anyone can do will prevent people from dying.

Sokka exhaled, thinking aloud. "Maybe I should just take a chance. Yue did, and her gamble paid off."

He kept his eyes trained on the moon. Maybe it was just his eyes playing tricks on him, but Sokka could have sworn he had noticed the moon glow brighter, as if Yue approved. Sokka got up, ready to finally get a good night's sleep.

"But Spirits, if Toph turns into the moon, too, I'm giving up females for good."


	5. Prompt 43: Outside

**I've been on a bit of a roll here, probably because TOKKA WEEK 2012 IS TOMORROW! I'm going to put my writing for that on here, even though the official Tokka Week isn't on FF. By the way, the definition of Outside I used often is 'Beyond the borders,' and 'Exposed on the surface.' You'll understand how this is connected with the previous chapter; if you haven't read it, I recommend you do. You don't have to, but it'll make a lot more sense.**

43: Outside

Toph paced her rather large room in the Fire Nation palace. It was maddening. The palace was currently housing a few dozen people, and each time one of them set foot loudly on the stone ground, Toph was forced from her attempt at sleep as vibrations passed through the entire palace. Every time she got another glimpse of the palace from someone's heavy footfall, Toph would jolt awake. She was still used to living on the run, where any ripples in the ground could mean danger, or even death. The truth was, she had adapted so easily to the runaway life that she didn't really want to give it up. It was nice that Ozai had been defeated, but she missed the days when the only burden Team Avatar held was teaching Aang the four elements. Now, everyone had responsibilities to worry about, and it was never exciting.

Toph stopped her pacing. She needed a break. She needed to go outside. The earthbender turned to step out of her room when she felt known tremors in the ground, signaling two of her friends. By the way the closest walked, with a nearly silent power, she could tell that Fire Lord Zuko was almost at her door. A little further away, Sokka trekked down the hall. Toph knew it was him by his loud, clumsy gait.

An idea formulated in Toph's head, one she might not have had the guts to do if she wasn't craving exhilaration. She waited for the opportune moment to strike; then, just as Zuko passed by the entrance to her room, she flung open the door and grabbed him.

"What the - " Zuko's cry was cut short when his entire body became encased in earth, save for his eyes. He didn't even have time to firebend.

"Sorry. I didn't_ try_ to scare you," Toph said with a smirk, letting Zuko free.

"That's a lie and you know it," Zuko growled.

Toph's smirk grew bigger. "Yup, it's a lie. But I need you for something."

Wariness crept into Zuko's voice as he inquired, "This isn't like the last time you and Sokka needed my help, is it?"

Toph laughed. "No, Zuko. It has nothing to do with cactus juice this time."

Zuko audibly sighed with relief. "Then what do you want me to do?"

"Well, things have gotten pretty dull around here. I think it's time to liven things up a bit. Now, I've wanted to do this for some time, but I've never had a good way to do it."

"Okay, I'm a bit scared now," Zuko stated. "Does this involve things exploding?"

"No!" cried Toph, "Will you just let me finish?"

Zuko went quiet, and, in the stillness, Toph almost lost her courage. _Come on, you big baby_, she told herself. _Face it head on._

Toph crossed her arms over her chest and stated bluntly, "I want to tell Sokka that I love him."

Toph could hear the astonishment in Zuko's voice as he said, "You do a good job of hiding your feelings." Then the Fire Lord continued. "Why now? Is it just because nothing's happening?"

Toph shrugged her shoulders. "Well, there is that whole thing with Suki, too."

Toph could practically see Zuko nodding. "Oh. Right. The breakup."

"Sokka's not taking it too well," Toph answered.

Zuko asked, "What do you mean? He seems okay to me. He definitely didn't take it as hard as Mai did when I broke up with her. That is _not_ something I ever want to face again."

"That's because you're not seeing," Toph began. "During the day, I think he just puts on a brave face. But every night, he goes to the courtyard and just sits there. He's actually headed there right now. That's why I'm asking for your help. If I'm going to admit my feelings, I might as well do something that would make Sokka a little bit more cheerful."

"Wait," Zuko stopped Toph. "Have you been stalking him?"

Toph put her hand to her forehead. "No. When he walks, I can see him. Every time someone moves or shifts on the ground, I can see them. It's been driving me nuts all week."

Zuko placed a hand on her shoulder out of sympathy. "Okay, no more questions. What do you want me to do?"

"That is a question," Toph countered. "I want you to go to the courtyard. Somehow bring the conversation to something along the lines of girlfriends or love or any of that mushy stuff. Sokka will be pretty bummed, right? Well, it won't be long before he starts complaining. Just find some way to tell him someone else is in love with him. When he asks who, try and stall for as long as you can. Don't say my name; let him work for it. It's pretty fun to listen; Sokka gets so worked up and into guessing and figuring stuff out."

"Okay, that's pretty simple," Zuko responded. "But how am I supposed to stall him?"

"I don't know, use a guessing game or something," replied Toph. "If you get stuck, I'll be waiting just outside the courtyard."

Zuko made his way to the door, Toph following not far behind. The two made their way quietly to the innermost part of the palace. It was ironic that in order to go outside, you had to go as far in as you could get.

When they reached the little park, Toph stopped and let Zuko continue on with the plan. She was slightly nervous; although she thought this was a fun way of going about things, she couldn't help but worry about how everything would turn out. By the time she snapped out of her doubt, Sokka was telling a story.

Toph loved the way Sokka told stories. He got into the plot and always added his own little spin. But with this particular tale, his voice was laced with sorrow. Toph strained her ears and was able to make out what he was saying.

"Well, Yue told me – told everyone – that when she was born, she was very sick. She was more than very sick; she was dying. Her parents placed her in the Spirit Oasis, where the Moon and Ocean Spirits were. Her hair turned white and she started to cry, and Yue's parents knew she was going to live."

Toph remembered Sokka and the others occasionally mentioning a girl named Yue. She knew they had met her at the North Pole. But who she was, what she was like, Toph didn't know. For some reason, Yue hadn't joined the group. Toph processed this new information; Yue was connected to the spirits and had almost died.

"Yue's father told me to protect her. When Zhao killed the Moon Spirit, Yue said she felt she could revive it. She wanted to give her own life to save the Moon Spirit. I tried to stop her, but Yue was determined. She walked into the pool…and became the Moon."

She became the Moon? Toph remembered one night, about a year ago, when the servants in her house were terrified because they couldn't see the moon. It hadn't been a big deal to her; she never saw the moon. Maybe that had been the night when all this was taking place. Toph went over the rest of Sokka's words in her head. _I tried to stop her_…Obviously, Sokka had cared for Yue.

Toph sat down grumpily, upset that she had yet another person to compete with. If Yue was the Moon Spirit, couldn't she come to earth? Or was she beyond the boundaries of human interaction? Did she still remember who she was? Even through her jealousy, Toph had to feel a smidgen of pity for Sokka and Yue. What if Yue never even remembered who Sokka was? And Sokka…he wasn't able to protect her. That must weigh hard on his conscience.

A phrase Zuko stated quietly pierced through Toph: "Because someone told me they're in love with you."

Toph clenched her fist. Did Sokka already know? Would he immediately guess her?

Toph knew instantly that Sokka had no idea that she loved him when he replied, in a very high-pitched voice, "Really, Zuko? You're not kidding? Who is it? C'mon, don't leave me hanging!"

Toph grinned to herself. This was going to be fun to listen to. Already, she could sense the wheels turning in Sokka's head. Toph estimated how long it would take the boy to figure it out – at least a couple of minutes. By the time she tuned back in to the conversation, Sokka was celebrating his victory with much cheering and shouting. Toph hoped no curious servant came at the sound of rambunctious voices.

"I won't tell you straight out. You can ask five yes or no questions, and then guess." Zuko's voice was forceful. There'd be no negotiating.

"Fine. My first question…" Toph bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. Sokka was so comically oblivious at times. Her speculations on what he would ask were cut short as Sokka asked, "Is she an earthbender, firebender, or waterbender?"

"Yes," Zuko replied.

Toph's grin faltered a little. Maybe Sokka knew more than he was letting on.

"Does everyone in Team Avatar – me, you, Katara, Toph, Aang, Suki – know her?" Sokka stumbled over his ex-girlfriend's name while Toph forced a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. _No, genius, they don't know who I am._

Zuko responded with a strong, "Definitely."

"Definitely? What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka grumbled.

_It means exactly what it means, Snoozles_, thought Toph.

"Does she come from a poor family?"

This time, Toph couldn't hold in her laughter. A small snort slipped from behind her hand. Luckily, Zuko chose that moment to say, "Nope."

"Does she have dark hair?" Sokka inquired.

Toph's laughter abruptly stopped. Sokka didn't wait, launching into his next question. "Is she younger than me?"

Toph froze. Now that she thought about it, she didn't really like this way of telling him. It seemed that all of her traits were being slowly dragged out from inside her and becoming exposed at the surface, like the questions went as far in as they possibly could before being able to go outside. Granted, these were all characteristics that everyone knew about her. But still, she preferred to take things head on. Feelings were a bit too spiritual for her liking.

Toph heard Sokka laugh, saying, "You don't even need to answer that."

Now, the only thing left to do was wait and see how long it took Sokka to put two and two together. Toph thought about her earlier statement, so trivial –that she wanted to go outside. The spirits had taken it too figuratively. Her emotions were out in the open. True, there was a chance that they could go back inside, but Sokka would always have a chance to find them. It was a game of hide and seek; no matter what, Toph's declaration would be found.

Suddenly, Toph felt Sokka's heart rate quicken. The boy in question jumped to his feet. "Is it Toph?"

Toph's fist clenched again. Hide and seek time was over. Sokka knew. How would he feel? The earthbender strained her ears, picking up Zuko's muttered statement. "I think the better question is if you are in love with her."

"Why should I even ask myself that? Every relationship I've ever had ended badly. What makes you so sure that this will work out?" Sokka ranted.

Toph's heart sank. He wasn't even willing to take a chance and let his feelings be on the outside. She was trapped now. Sokka knew about her feelings, but he didn't know she knew. Toph could bolt right now and try and forget everything, but she knew it would never be truly forgotten. It was already exposed, already at the surface.

Toph was so absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't notice Zuko until h was right in front of her.

The Fire Lord squatted next to her. "I tried," he whispered. "He looks like he's thinking things over." Then he left, heading back for his bedroom.

Zuko's statement had given Toph a bit of hope. Maybe Zuko was right.

Toph noticed Sokka exhale. He thought aloud, something he did only when he had a really troubling dilemma on his hands. "Maybe I should just take a chance. Yue did, and her gamble paid off."

Toph sighed. He was taking a risk. Now Sokka's opinion was on the outside, too, even if he didn't know it. Toph sent a silent thanks to the Moon Spirit. All her bitterness disappeared; maybe Yue wasn't so bad after all.

"But Spirits, if Toph turns into the moon, too, I'm giving up females for good."


	6. Prompt 72: Stars

**Okay,here's the final part of the mini story arc. It takes place right where the two other chapters end. If you didn't read the previous two chapters, I suggest you do. By the way, I think in the future, I'll have some chapters from another character's point of view. Do you guys have any suggestions? Review!**

72: Stars

Sokka moved to follow Zuko's example and head to bed. He expected a nice, silent walk to his room, since it was just about midnight.

He did not expect to nearly step on Toph.

"Toph! What are you doing here?" he asked nervously. She was huddled in her nightgown next to the gate, seemingly lost in thought. Or, at least, she was lost in thought until Sokka nearly squashed her.

"What does it matter to you?" Toph challenged.

Sokka was about to answer in the same tone when something dawned on him. Could she have been there the whole time? "Were you spying on me?"

"No," Toph answered hotly. Her eyes betrayed her. They flared slightly, sensing danger. Sokka had always wondered how Toph was able to convey emotions with her eyes if she couldn't use them to see.

"You know, Toph, You're not the only one who can tell when people are lying. Now, how long were you watching?"

"I wasn't _watching_ at all," she growled, pointing to her eyes, "but I was here the whole time."

"How'd you know we were here?" Sokka asked.

Toph looked down at her feet. "I kinda sent Zuko…"

Sokka's jaw dropped as he fell into silence. Why wouldn't Toph just tell him? It certainly would have been a whole lot easier than the guessing game. Hoping to get some answers, Sokka prompted, "Let's sit down."

Sokka and Toph moved to a spot in the grass that had two depressions in it - where he and Zuko had rested earlier. Both of them sat down, trying to come up with something to say to break the awkward silence. _In one night, so many silences_, thought Sokka.

Toph succeeded in finding a topic. "What makes the moon and sun different?"

Sokka paused. It was difficult to describe something like this to someone who couldn't see. He also realized that Toph must have heard his story about Yue. "Well, the sun shines brighter. It has more…power. It takes up space and acts sort of masculine. The moon's light is softer, I guess you can say. It's like having rough cloth and smooth silk. Both do the job, but rough cloth is tougher, whereas silk is more comfortable."

Toph nodded. While Sokka was speaking, both of them had stretched out on the grass, staring up at the sky. Sokka looked over at Toph; her eyes were fixed on the heavens, as if she could actually see the moon and stars embedded there.

"The moon also has stars," Sokka put in.

"What do the stars do?" questioned Toph.

Sokka couldn't take his eyes away from her. Toph's dark hair took on a silvery feel in the light. The moon's glare bounced off her face, creating bright highlights that gleamed white and dark valleys hidden by shadow. She looked like another person in the starlight.

"The stars shine, too. They help the moon." Sokka managed to say.

"Because the moon is less bright, right?" the earthbender asked.

Sokka turned his own eyes to the celestial body in question, thinking of Yue. She shone in her own way. "I think it's because she prefers company." Toph stiffened slightly at his use of the pronoun. "The sun gets all the glory, shining in the daytime all arrogant and proud. But the moon gets friends; she can let others share her spotlight. They make the moon shine more vividly."

"I guess that makes me like the stars. Are they small?" asked Toph.

Sokka responded slowly. "Yes, but they're strong. And they shine like the moon, that soft, silky light. It turns everything a gorgeous silver."

Toph blew out hard, her breath blowing a few strands of hair back from her forehead.

"I know, I know, no colors," Sokka consoled. "I guess it makes things more dramatic. Like, picture going from normal temperatures - warm in the day and cool at night - to extreme temperatures. One part of you is boiling hot, the other freezing."

Toph cocked her head thoughtfully. "I guess that makes sense…sort of…" A thought struck her, and she pushed herself up on an elbow. "What would happen if there were no stars?"

"Well, the nighttime wouldn't look as stunning. And I don't think the moon would shine as bright."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, like I said, the moon shines softly because she likes to give the stars a chance. Wouldn't you be lonely if everyone you knew suddenly disappeared? Those stars are there to support the moon."

Silence. Again. _At least this is comfortable, thoughtful silence_, thought Sokka. He could sense Toph's mind whirring beside him as his own brain contemplated his words. Not only the moon needed help.

"I think we all need stars; people in our lives to make us shine brighter. Without them, we would be lonely, and life wouldn't be nearly as beautiful. It would be like the night sky, dark and empty. I don't think that would be much fun."

Sokka felt something brush against his hand. When he looked down, he noticed Toph's fingers next to his. Gently, he took her hand in his own. Toph blushed, adding a splash of red in the grayscale world of midnight. It was like a painting, with the stars and moon shining overhead and the black and white pair below. Sokka almost laughed; the only way this could ever be a painting would be if he or Toph painted it. And, even though Toph was blind, she was still a better artist than he was.

Toph turned her head slightly. "Am I a star to you, Sokka?"

The question would seem odd to anyone else, but Sokka understood perfectly. Toph wanted to know if she helped him, if she had changed his life so far.

"I think so," Sokka murmured, his voice almost a whisper. "How about me?"

Toph shook her head, leaving Sokka in dismay. Then she declared, "You're more like a rock."

Sokka smirked. "What, because I'm stubborn? Hard headed?"

"No, because I need you."

Sokka didn't move a muscle. All the breath had been sucked out of him. The only thing he could feel was her fingers in his. Toph had that ability to take a joke and turn it into something serious. To her, special moments weren't ruined by a pun, and for that, Sokka was grateful. Still, he felt like he needed to apologize, to make it up to Toph. He had no clue what he needed to make up, but he did anyway.

"Let's always be stars, Toph."


	7. Prompt 78: Drunk

**This is a bit random. Okay, more than a bit. But come on, look at the title! Remember a few chapters back, when Zuko wanted to know if Toph's plan involved cactus juice? Here's why! (Oh shoot. Belated spoiler alert.)**

78: Drunk

Zuko stood in the background, watching the scene play out in front of him.

"Sokka, I told you. Aang and I are going to try and stop the uprisings. You need to stay here in case Zuko needs you for something else. We'll be travelling on foot, so you'll have to look after Appa as well." Katara was trying to gently explain to her brother why he wasn't allowed to go with them. In truth, Zuko had assigned them the easy task so Aang would have a chance to get away from the responsibilities of being Avatar. Zuko planned to take his own vacation soon, but first he had to see Katara and Aang off.

"But Katara, nothing fun ever happens here!" Sokka whined.

"Yeah!" put in Toph. "You guys are so lucky."

Katara sighed. "Sokka, we're going now. I'll see you when we get back."

With that, Katara and Aang practically bolted down the road. Sokka and Toph made no effort to stop them; they both knew it would be fruitless.

"You know," Sokka complained, "When we were travelling around the world, we had a whole bunch of crazy adventures!"

Toph snickered. "Yeah. Like when you got drunk on cactus juice."

Sokka's eyes lit up deviously, and he pulled Toph into a huddle. Zuko couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew it couldn't be good. When Sokka and Toph got that look in their eyes, there was no stopping them. It was best to just stay out of their way.

Clearly, Zuko was not in luck that day. Instead of leaving him alone, Sokka and Toph came straight toward him.

Toph spoke first, in a voice that reminded Zuko of all those years she spent as a rich kid. "Zuko, Sokka and I are terribly bored. We don't think it's fair that Aang and Katara get to go off by themselves while we're stuck here doing chores. We heard of this great place in the Earth Kingdom. Can we please go?"

Zuko eyed the pair warily, but he still agreed. "It's about time I had a break as well. If you don't mind, can I come with you?" Zuko did deserve a day off, but he wanted to stick with them, since most of their plans ended in complete disaster.

Sokka and Toph grinned. "That would make it even better!" exclaimed Sokka, "Let's get on Appa!"

Sokka and Toph pranced toward the flying bison with Zuko not far behind.

_I'm not sure where this is going_, thought the Fire Lord_, but I don't like it_.

. . .

An hour later, Zuko was at his wit's end. Sokka had taken Appa's reins and had no idea where he was going. Toph was berating him about the direction they were heading; their constant arguing had given Zuko a migraine.

"Guys, you do realize we're over a desert, right?" he asked, hoping that one of them knew which way to go.

Sokka looked down. "Why yes, we are. We're very close, Zuko," he stated, sharing a smirk with Toph. The driver turned Appa so that they were moving in a serpentine pattern. If Zuko didn't know any better, he'd have said that Sokka was searching for something.

It turned out Zuko was right. A moment later, Sokka shouted, "Aha! There!"

Zuko looked over the side of Appa's saddle as Sokka brought the great beast down. All he could make out for miles upon miles was a single cactus. The cactus wasn't even extraordinary; it was a normal-sized, normal-looking cactus.

"Jackpot!" cried Toph and Sokka simultaneously.

"Uh, am I missing something here?" asked Zuko.

The pair ignored his question and ran to the cactus. Sokka used his machete to hack off a part of the plant. He took a swig of the juice, then offered the make-shift cup to Toph, who did likewise. Then he held out the cactus to Zuko. "You want some?"

Zuko shook his head. "I think I'll stick to water."

"Suit yourself," said Sokka, shrugging. Then, his pupils dilated. When Zuko looked over to Toph, he noticed that her eyes, though sightless, had done the same.

Sokka dropped the cactus cup, turning to his earthbender friend. "Toph? Why is your head a melon?"

Zuko, too, looked at Toph, but her head looked perfectly fine to him. _Maybe it's something in the cactus juice_, he thought.

Toph cackled. "I am not Toph, I am MELON LORD!"

Zuko muttered, "Oh no…" as Sokka bowed down to the self-proclaimed 'melon lord.'

"Melon slave," cried Toph. "Fetch me the traitor!"

"Which one?" Sokka asked in response.

"The one who acts like he has ants in his pants!"

Sokka struggled to walk towards Zuko. The firebender easily out stepped his reach, seeing as the Water Tribe boy was drunk. However, Zuko did not expect Sokka to tackle him. Sokka threw his entire weight onto Zuko. "I have him, your meloness!"

"Good!" bellowed Toph, who had fashioned herself a throne out of sand. "Bring him to me!"

Zuko pushed Sokka off of him, hoping to get out of their reach, but subsequently found himself trapped in a pile of sand. Toph had trapped him.

"What is a good punishment for this traitor? I know! Let's leave him here!" Toph commanded.

"Oh melon lord," Sokka stated, "We should go find the giant mushroom. He's friendly."

"What does he look like?" asked the 'melon lord.'

"What do you mean?" responded Sokka. "Can't you see him? He's RIGHT THERE!" Sokka pointed to a spot about four feet away. Zuko craned his neck; there was nothing there.

"NO!" Toph shouted, placing a hand in front of her eyes. "I can't see! I can't see! I…I think I'm blind!"

Zuko sighed. He could tell that this was going to be a long day for him. If Toph didn't even realize that she already was blind, there could be no good side to this excursion.

Sokka shouted, "Melon lord! What should I do?"

Toph held up her arms like an intoxicated king. "Make me unblind!"

Sokka, her 'slave,' marched up to Toph like a strutting peacock. He took Toph be the shoulders, none too gently, and forced her to stand up. Sokka stared deep into her eyes. Slowly he raised his right hand to the heavens…then slapped Toph across the face.

"Did it work, slave? Can I see?"

Zuko groaned in frustration; though comical, their antics had grown tiresome. And sand was getting into places that sand shouldn't be. "If you free me…melon lord…I can make you see."

Toph flicked her wrist, and the sand melted away. Zuko stalked to where Appa was resting and grabbed a water skin from his saddle. Then, he marched over to Toph and dumped the entire contents over her head.

Toph's dark hair drooped into her eyes as she stood shaking. The 'melon lord' blinked water out of her eyes. Then, she squinted, as if trying to see a far-away object. Toph shook her head, splattering water all over Zuko. "That failed!" she screeched. "Traitor! I'm soaking wet! I think I'm drowning!"

"I'm coming, my lord!" Sokka replied. He tugged at his boots, ripping them off his feet. Then, he proceeded to dive into the sand as if it were an ocean. He 'swam' toward Toph, intent on saving her from drowning. Once he reached his friend, Sokka declared, "I have saved you, lord of the melons!"

Toph stood, shivering despite the heat. "Why are we in the cold waters of the North Pole?"

Sokka's limbs started shaking, too. "Here, have my coat." He passed a handful of sand to Toph, who thankfully poured it on her head.

Zuko watched in agony. He couldn't bear seeing his friends this crazy. Granted, they were always the loony ones in the bunch, but this was too far.

"You guys are coming with me." Zuko stomped to the pair and grabbed each by the front of their robes. Dragging the drunken due to Appa, Zuko cried, "Yip yip!"

Toph and Sokka, still intoxicated, started singing some Water Tribe song, bent on keeping themselves from freezing in the cold ocean. Left to steer Appa, only one thought ran through Zuko's mind. _Note to self: say no to any further plans these idiots come up with._


	8. Prompt 17: Weather

**Yay! More Tokka! I've been pretty obsessed with Avatar lately...I think I'm suffering from LoK withdrawl. Come quick. 2013!**

17: Weather

Sokka fidgeted in his fancy clothes. "Remind me, why am I here?" he asked the girl next to him. Sokka was utterly miserable. His formal robe was completely stiff, and the elegant style restricted his movements. He wasn't looking forward to stepping into the ballroom. Everyone in there was sure to be uptight and regal. This definitely wasn't in Sokka's comfort zone.

However, the dreadful night did come with perks. Sokka was slightly glad to see Toph just as uncomfortable. He knew she hated the powder streaked across her cheeks; any opportunity to tease his rival was welcome.

But for some reason, Sokka couldn't taunt her. He knew how hard this was for Toph; her parents' 'welcome home' party hadn't gone exactly as planned. Beneath that hesitance, Sokka could feel something deeper tugging at his heart. Was he abandoning their usual bickering because Toph looked beautiful? Sokka pushed the thought from his mind.

"Look, Sokka. It's difficult enough that my parents only let me bring one friend to the party. Don't make me regret my choice; Twinkle Toes is definitely a better dancer than you." Toph took his arm like she was supposed to, preparing to enter the dance hall.

Sokka harrumphed. "I can prove that wrong. I can so dance better than Aang." He moved to go forward, but Toph stopped him.

"Wait," she commanded. "It's not time yet. And we need to prepare."

"What's to prepare for?" questioned Sokka.

His friend replied, "The people in there can get kind of overwhelming. In case we need to escape, we need a code word. Something we can slip casually into a conversation."

"Okay," Sokka stated. "How about we ask about the weather?"

Toph nodded. Somewhere beyond the doors, a gong rang. "That's our cue," the grumpy girl said. "Let's get this over with."

As they entered the room, Sokka looked around. His prediction had been correct; the entire room was filled with people who looked like statues and dolls of ancient kings and queens. He felt terribly out of place and shuffled closer to Toph.

"They're staring at us," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"Of course, Oh Wise One. This _is_ my welcome party," Toph responded, hiding her mouth behind a fan.

Soon after the pair reached the center of the hall, the crowd turned back to their quaint chattering. Sokka let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. "I'm so glad that's over."

Toph laughed. "Oh no, Sokka. It's only just begun. Welcome to the world of the rich."

The next hour went by ridiculously slowly as Toph and Sokka tried to avoid as many people as possible. It wasn't easy. Everyone wanted to hear firsthand tales of the war, but, as Toph had instructed Sokka earlier, no one wanted to hear about the bloodshed.

Sokka was reduced from his normal chatty self to a shallow, petty role. Inside, he was mentally banging his head on a wall, hating the rich for being so superficial. On the outside, though, he made nobles laugh with curious tales of Momo's antics. He could see why Toph hated this so much.

"Let's get something to eat," he murmured in Toph's ear after yet another couple walked away from them. They made their way to the buffet table. Sokka finally relinquished his iron grip on Toph's forearm to find comfort in food. When he turned his head to check if Toph was doing likewise, he noticed a strong, young official come over to Toph. He walked in a cocky, overconfident way, and immediately, Sokka disliked the man.

"Pardon me, miss. He placed a hand on the table, essentially trapping Toph. "The name's Aviveki. Do you need help with your food? It must be hard, being blind and all. I'd love to hear some war stories from your point of view!"

"Excuse me for a moment," Toph managed to reply. Only one of her close friends, like Sokka, would notice the barely suppressed rage throbbing under the statement. Toph hid her face behind her fan and floated over to Sokka. "I think I'd like to know what the weather is like outside. Can you take me to the garden?"

Sokka let her rest her hand in the crook of his elbow. "I'd be delighted to." Despite being civil all night, he couldn't help turning his head back and sticking his tongue out at Aviveki.

By the time Sokka and Toph wound their way through the corridors and out into the garden, a steady drizzle had started, all the while threatening to pick up its pace into a torrential downpour. Sokka searched Toph's face, waiting for the outburst he knew would happen. Instead, all he could focus on was the rain washing the makeup from her face. Slowly, splotch by splotch, the paint dripped down onto the ground. Toph led her friend to the shelter of a nearby tree. There, they seemed to be a bit dryer.

The earthbender let out all her anger. She send boulder after boulder into the ground, all the while covering up any traces of her bending. Sokka knew it was for safety; anyone who wandered out into the garden would balk at the signs of a great earthbending battle.

"I hate it!" Toph cried. "I hate it when people treat me differently. All they see is a blind girl, no matter what I do. I've fought in a war, yet all they care about is my stupid eyesight! How about I stab your eyes out? How would you like that? I hope you'd enjoy having others serve you dinner!" Toph shouted to the heavens. She sat back down roughly, slightly calmer, but not quite finished with her tirade. "I'm okay with the occasional stupid comment that you seem to have down pat, Sokka, because that means you don't think about my blindness. I'm normal to you. But that buffoon pushed me over the edge! I hate dealing with people like that!"

Sokka placed a hand gently on Toph's arm. She seemed to simmer down slightly at his touch. "Hey, when I can't stand someone, I picture myself in a duel with them. This way, I can let out all my anger out in a way that doesn't hurt them, but still gives me the satisfaction of pounding my knuckles into their face."

Toph snorted. "I'll try that. So, how many imaginary battles has Katara won?"

Sokka opened his mouth as if to retaliate, then thought better. No matter how he answered that question, he was going to get burned. He looked for a way to change the subject. "What lovely weather we're having!"

Toph turned her head. Her eyes met Sokka's in a way that made him positive she could see him. It was an unnerving feeling, having her see straight into his soul.

"It's pouring rain, you idiot."

Sokka shrugged, wrapping his arm around Toph's shoulder. "Let me put it to you this way; at least it keeps the people at the party from coming outside. They wouldn't want to ruin their dresses. Or their hair. Or their makeup. Or their lives."

Toph snickered. "In that case, I'd say it's wonderful weather we're having."


	9. Prompt 90: Stuck

**Okay, I'm going to try a a different genre. This story takes place as if Lin was never born and Sokka was never Councilman. Please tell me if I should continue this line of thought; I have an idea, but I won't waste a chapter if this was horrible.**

90: Stuck

Sokka stepped off the boat, looking around. Republic City had changed immensely in the three years he had been gone. Sokka regretted not being able to see the grand city come together, but the rebel groups in the Fire Nation wouldn't stop themselves. He only wished it hadn't taken him so long, and that he could have had a friend along for the ride.

A friend. Sokka was definitely looking forward to reconnecting with his Team Avatar buddies. There was only one downside.

He didn't know where they were.

Zuko wasn't here, of course; he was at the Fire Nation capitol. Suki was most likely on Kyoshi. Katara would be with Aang, and the last time Sokka saw them, the two had been leaving for their honeymoon. That left Toph.

Sokka remembered something she had said before he left. _"If you ever need me, I'll be here. I don't think I'll move from this house; besides, it wouldn't be far from the police force I plan on starting. There's a building a block away that I think would be perfect."_

Sokka vaguely remembered where her home had been, and he set off in that direction. If Toph really had gone on to start a police force, it wouldn't be hard to find, and he could use it to locate her house.

The afternoon sun stung the back of Sokka's neck as he wove his way through the city. It had flourished into a strong, thriving community. Vendors called their wares along the side streets as all the people went about their daily lives. Everyone in sight was perfectly content. There was no doubt about it; Aang had done his job well.

Sokka found himself at the base of a building that could only be the Police Headquarters. Giant domes stood atop stable pillars. Metal cables stretched away from it, obviously for any metalbending members of the force. But the absolute dead giveaway was the statue of Toph standing on a pedestal near the entrance.

Sokka knew Toph would probably be in the headquarters, but he didn't want to bother her. He remembered the route to her house from the office, so he decided to stop by. Maybe she would let him stay there once she got off of work.

The walk was only a few blocks. When Sokka reached his destination, he wondered whether he should knock or not. Maybe Toph had a housekeeper that would let him in. But then, what if she was a crazy old lady who chased him away? And maybe Toph had sold the house after all, and a huge, buff, firebender lived there now.

Telling himself he was over-thinking things, Sokka knocked on the door. He was stunned to see Toph answer the door. "Sokka?" she whispered.

"Surprise! I came back to visit," Sokka stated in response.

Toph opened the door wider, letting him in. "Sokka, I thought you were dead!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him. For some reason, her limbs were strangely cold.

Sokka followed his friend as she led him to a sitting room. "I just walked past your police station. It's very impressive. But I thought you'd be at work?"

"I've been a bit…stuck, lately," Toph answered.

Sokka's brow wrinkled. "Stuck? What do you mean?"

Toph shrugged. "I've been stuck at home."

"Are you sick? Is that why you're so cold?"

Toph bit her lip. "I guess you could say I'm sick."

Sokka stood up from his place on the chair. "Why is nobody taking care of you? In the South Pole, when someone's sick, the entire village helps out! Come on, I'll make some soup."

The kitchen was just as he remembered it: completely messy. Toph always was a messy person, and she absolutely hated cooking. Sokka, however, was indifferent about the matter. In no time, he had a pot of water boiling on the stove.

"I'll have to pay Katara and Aang a visit. Do you know where they live?"

A note of fear crept into Toph's voice at her response. "They're out of town. They'll be back in about a week."

It was a bit odd to Sokka that Toph would be afraid of him seeing his sister, but he let it slide. "In that case, I'll need a place to stay. Do you mind if I sleep here while my sister and her husband are away?"

"Not at all," Toph replied. He could have been imagining it, but Sokka thought he heard relief in her voice.

His musing, however, was cut short when the soup's delicious aroma wafted to his nose. "Here," he pronounced, gathering a ladle and two bowls from the cupboard. "The soup's done."

They spent their week reminiscing about old times. For no apparent reason, Toph wasn't getting any better. Her skin was cold and clammy to the touch, and she seemed distracted. Sokka tried his best to keep her occupied with funny tales about his past three years, but every time he began talking, he felt Toph slip further and further away. It was almost as if her health was slowly diminishing.

Finally, when the week was over, Sokka declared, "I'm gonna go see Katara. She might be able to heal you." He got up to collect his coat.

"Wait!" Toph cried desperately.

She never used that tone. She was always strong, stoic Toph, the girl that the world could not knock down. Something must be really wrong for her to sound like a helpless little girl. Sokka turned around.

"Come here," Toph murmured. "I have something for you."

Sokka crossed the room quickly. Toph pulled a small item out of her pocket. Her fist was closed around the object; Sokka couldn't tell what it was. Gently, Toph took Sokka's hand and placed it around her own. She opened her fist and pressed the thing – which Sokka knew was metal by its cool, smooth texture – into his palm.

"Take it. It's the key to the Bei Fong vault. Just in case anything happens to me."

Sokka stared hard at her face. "Nothing's going to happen to you. I won't let anything happen."

"Trust me," Toph replied, closing his fist over the key. The frantic girl had gone, and was replaced by her usual stubborn self.

A sigh of defeat came from Sokka. Then, something occurred to him. "Can't any earthbender make a key and pick a lock?"

Toph nodded. "Of course. That's why only two people in the world know the vault's location – Aang and Katara."

"But why'd you give _me_ this? Why not one of them?"

She replied like she had before. "Just in case anything happens to me."

"You know, you won't be stuck like this forever." Sokka was referring to her illness.

"I know," Toph told him. Sokka could tell she was worried; she truly felt something terrible was about to happen to her. "Now go! Katara should explain all this."

Sokka walked out the door, pausing a moment to look back. Toph stood close to the wall, her face miserable. She looked completely torn. Stuck. Sokka didn't know what he meant by that, but it seemed like the perfect word to describe her.

The man ran all the way to where Toph had told him his sister and Aang would be.

"Katara," he panted as soon as she opened her door. "I've been back in town for a while, staying at Toph's place. She's really sick, maybe dying. Toph gave me this key to her vault and told me you would explain."

Sokka had been hunched over from the running; when he finally looked up, he noticed his sister's face had lost all of its color.

In a haunted voice, Katara whispered, "Sokka, Toph's been dead for over a year."


	10. Prompt 1: Time

**Hmmm. I'm not sure what to say about this. It's a bit different from my usual style...erm, have fun, I guess? I don't really have anything to say.**

1: Time

If you aren't careful, if you don't look close enough, if you don't pay attention, time will whip by. It works in funny ways; a brief instant can seem like an eternity, and a decade could go by in the blink of an eye.

Time knows what it's doing. It tries to help people. But every now and then, it can't help making them suffer.

There is a time in your life, that, when you look back on it, is the most important. It'll be the base for everything before or after. You'll say, "It was a few weeks after my father's funeral," or "It was two years before we were married.

For Sokka, it was the death of his beloved. It had been completely unexpected. Everyone thought she would go down fighting, that she'd be killed in some battle or from an assassin sent by one of her many foes.

No one suspected that a simple illness would wipe her from existence.

And now, remembering when she was alive, Sokka realized how evil time was. His years with her seemed such a short time compared to the millennia he was spending waiting to join her.

Time was Sokka's worst enemy. It had snatched her away before he had a chance to tell her how he felt. Time had given him ten years to admit his feelings. Ten years he had known her; through the war, through her child, through the treachery of her husband, through sickness and through health. And Sokka thought it was a normal sickness, the kind that would disappear within a week of rest.

Time had given him no warning. He had it all planned out; what he would say, when and where. Sokka even had the necklace carved out. He was going to propose to her the week after she died.

He truly loved her. The way she laughed. The way she taunted back when he teased. The way she was hopelessly devoted to all her friends. The way she would admit weakness only to him, then make him swear not to tell anyone. The way she brought up her daughter, standing alone when the father had the audacity to leave her.

But time had taken her away.

Now, each day he woke up and felt the pain all over again. Sokka could see no death in his future, no soothing relief; his job wasn't dangerous, there was no war, and he wasn't sick.

So time was playing the worst possible trick of all on him. It was making his days tick away slowly, torturing him with the fact that he couldn't see her, hear her, or walk to her house in the dead of night when he needed cheering up.

They say not to worry about the past, because you can't change it, and not to worry about the future, because you can't predict it. Sokka wasn't worried about either; he fretted about time in general. How much time was left before he joined her? And what of his family, Katara and Aang? How would they be without him? Would they turn into slaves of time as he had, only living an empty shell of a life, just waiting until it ended?

Sokka could see no happy ending. If he lived forever, he would never be content. If he died tomorrow, his friends would be devastated.

There was no winning. Time was a cheat, scamming even the best men of their lives.

Sokka wished he was the master of time. He would be able to turn back the clock and save her. Somehow, he would stop her from getting sick, keep her chest rising and falling with life. It had been too painful for him to watch her as her heart and lungs gradually stopped.

He wished with all his being, only wanting her to be alive.

Of course, it wasn't like he hadn't experienced death and loss before; his mother had passed away when he was little. That was the problem. He had forgotten his mother's face and replaced it with Katara's. He was terrified that, now that the woman he loved was gone, he would fail to remember _her _face. That possibility chilled him to the bone. Was it possible, after all those years of loving her, her image could just slide away?

On and on Sokka went like this. Days, weeks, months, years passed, and still he was stuck in turmoil. Each day, he felt more and more like a servant of time. He withdrew from his family, retiring early from his job as Councilman. As time wore on, he gave up. He didn't fall ill; slowly but surely, his body just stopped working. No doctor or healer, not even Katara, could tell what was wrong.

Fifty years old was a young age to die.

It had happened out of the blue. One day, Sokka had called his sister and stated, "It's time. I'm dying."

Everyone had rushed over in a heartbeat. Aang, Katara, their children, even Zuko, who happened to be in the area. And Lin. Lin Bei Fong.

Katara, the best healer the world had ever known, couldn't decide what was wrong with him. "I think he's lost the will to survive."

That was true. Sokka couldn't take it any longer. He had done his time; almost thirty years he had been waiting for this moment. Sokka said his goodbyes to his friends and family. Everyone was weeping silently, but Sokka wasn't tearful, for he was sure he would see them all again. He then turned to Lin, the girl who had basically been his daughter for most of her life. He pulled her face close to his, whispering, "I'll tell your mother how much you miss her."

The young woman nodded, tears in her eyes.

Then Sokka addressed the group gathered before him. They all looked completely distressed, so Sokka launched into his speech. "Promise me you won't become slaves of time." He could tell no one understood what he was getting at. "Don't sit around, thinking about my death. One day, you'll join me. And right now, I'm joining Toph.

Then he took his last breath.

Time was finally giving him a chance to tell Toph Bei Fong how much he loved her.


	11. Prompt 59: Paint

**I'm sorry for not updating in so long! I had an idea a long time ago for this, and wrote it out. Originally, this chapter was going to be Traditions, and was going to be a lot longer. I decided to chop it off and change the theme. The story will continue with the next chapter. Thanks for being patient!**

59: Paint

"Toph, I know you don't like this, but please sit still!"

Toph's mother was busy painting her face, preparing Toph for one of the oldest traditions. At age sixteen, every girl would visit with the local Matchmaker, where the wise old woman would try to find them a suitor.

To Toph's mother, it was the most important day in the life of a woman. To Toph, however, it was pure torture.

It started with the clothes. The girl was forced into a long, suffocating robe. She was told it was a deep green to symbolize the might of the Earth Kingdom, but colors were meaningless to her. Then came the hair. The servants had spent almost an hour on Toph's locks, washing and combing and twisting until her head felt ten times heavier than usual. However, the worst part by far was the makeup.

Toph could feel her mother's delicate hands skimming the brush over her entire face. She couldn't tell what was happening, but by the approving murmurs of the female servants, Poppy Bei Fong was doing a great job. Layer upon layer of paint was smoothed across the girl's face, hiding her features. _What's the point? _she wondered. _Why is she making me someone I'm not?_

"There," Poppy stated. "You look perfect."

Toph stood in her hot gown and itchy face paint, commanding herself not to pull her hair back into its usual style. She would obey her mother, if only for today.

"Oh, I remember when I went to talk to the Matchmaker. What an amazing day that was…Toph, we better hurry. We don't want to miss our appointment." Toph's mother grasped her arm firmly, and, in a flash, they were rushing down the street.

Usually, the sixteen year olds faced this coming of age ceremony by themselves, but Poppy Bei Fong tended to smother her daughter. Toph hated that; her mother thought that, just because she was blind, she couldn't do anything by herself.

In no time, they had arrived at the grand house of the Matchmaker. Toph could sense a huge building with grand windows and walls. Her mother nudged her toward the door with tears in her eyes. Grudgingly, Toph entered the home.

Using her earthbending, Toph was able to detect an old woman seated on the floor next to the hearth. She seemed a bit impatient; the Matchmaker's fingers tapped against the ground relentlessly.

Toph walked to the woman and curtseyed like her mother had taught her. "I, Toph Bei Fong, seek your wisdom in the ways of marriage," the young girl managed to grunt out through gritted teeth. She wanted to be anywhere but here, where the stifling heat of the room pressed down on her and prevented her from breathing properly. Sweat beaded at Toph's temples, threatening to clear away streaks of paint from her face.

The Matchmaker got to her feet. "I shall help anyone who requires my service," she replied, sticking to tradition. "You will spend an hour with me, talking and eating. Then, I will assess your skill as a housewife. Hopefully, you shall leave here with the prospect of a husband. Now, come."

Toph followed the older woman to a table, where a meal was set. She tried to elegantly take a seat, but managed only to plop herself down clumsily. Toph could feel the Matchmaker's scrutinizing gaze as she picked up her chopsticks.

"No," stated the host harshly. "Always let your elders eat first. Did your mother teach you anything about etiquette?"

Of course she had. Poppy Bei Fong was the embodiment of perfect manners. Toph had just tuned her out during the long lessons on how to be a suitable lady. Trying hard not to snap her utensils, Toph waited until she heard the polite slurping of noodles, then took a bite of her own.

The Matchmaker interrupted again. "You do not gulp your food like a starving man. You must be dainty and proper."

Toph clenched her fist under the table and tried again. She didn't hear a difference between her own way of eating and that of the Matchmaker, but obviously the well-trained woman did.

"This is hopeless! You'll never be able to eat noodles properly. Let's move to the conversation part of the assessment."

It took all of Toph's resolve to prevent herself from attacking the woman across from her. What did she mean, eat noodles properly? Who cared how she ate noodles? Why were noodles so important, anyway? The fate of the world did not depend on how she ate noodles.

"If I ask you if I look nice, what would you say?" the Matchmaker inquired.

Bluntly, Toph stated, "I'd point out that I'm blind."

"Wrong! No matter what, you would tell someone that their dress is beautiful, or their hair is sleek, or give them some compliment. You do not have an excuse!"

Here, Toph lost it. For once, she would gladly use her blindness to her advantage. "Listen. I don't care what you have to say. I can do what I want. There's no 'proper way to eat noodles.' And if I can't see a person, how am I supposed to tell them their dress is beautiful? I only say what's true, and it's true that you're a horrible matchmaker!" Toph stormed to the door, sending a boulder to smash it open.

Toph could feel her mother standing, shocked, a few feet away. Immediately, Poppy ran toward the Matchmaker, presumably to salvage some of the family honor. But right then, Toph didn't care if she found a suitor. She didn't care if her family's honor was tarnished, and she didn't care about stupid old traditions. Angry, Toph headed home. She used her green sleeve to scrape away at the paint on her face. She probably looked ten times worse, but Toph could care less. She'd prove the Matchmaker wrong and live a life where noodles were the least important thing to think about it. Toph continued on her way, fantasizing about dumping the Matchmaker in a huge vat of pasta.

She had barely stomped ten feet when she heard a messenger shout something that jolted her out of her mood.

"Citizens of Gaoling! The Earth King has just decreed that, because of the lack of soldiers, one man from each family must be sent to fight in the war. If a man of at least sixteen from every family is not present at the gate by sundown today, he will be punishable by law. That is all."

Toph stood stock still, her brain trying desperately to process what she had heard.

Her father, Lao Bei Fong, was the only man in their family. He had once been a fearless general, but when he witnessed the brutal death of his second in command, he gave up. He had left for home, defeated and scarred by the horrible event. Toph knew that if he had to go back to war, he would die.

She raced home, not caring who she bumped into. No doubt citizens were recoiling in horror at her dreadful manners and paint-smeared face, but Toph had a single focus in mind: to stop her father from leaving.


End file.
